Miller Worsley, Royal Navy-- Part 1: At Trafalgar, Transferred to Canada

From Wikipedia.

8 July 1791 to 2 May 1835

Volunteered for the Royal Navy in 1803, became midshipman in 1805.  He was at the Battle of Trafalgar serving aboard the HMS Swiftsure (See next post)

Drafted to serve in Canada along with Robert Heriot Barclay (Battle of Lake Erie) and Daniel Pring.  Evidently many British officers, both Army and Navy, regarded service in Canada as not too promising for their careers.  Much more action and advancement opportunity against the French in Europe.

Promoted to lieutenant 12 July 1813 and in 1814 was 1st lt. on frigate HMS Princess Charlotte on Lake Ontario and participated in the Raid on Fort Oswego.

--Brock-Perry

HMS St. Lawrence-- Part 4: A Short-Lived Career

The arrival of the HMS St. Lawrence on Lake Ontario gave the British unchallenged domination of Lake Ontario.

But, it was short-lived as the war soon ended and the ship no longer needed.

After the war, the St. Lawrence was decommissioned.  In 1832, the hull was sold to Robert Drummond for 25 pounds.  Between May and August, the hull was towed out to Navy Bay.  It later formed part of the pier attached to Morton's Brewery in Kingston and was  used as storage for cordwood and other materials.

It later sank in 30 feet of water where its remains have since rotted away but the keel and ribs remain and are a favorite dive site.

The wreck of the St. Lawrence, along with those of the Princess Charlotte and Prince Regent were designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2015.

--Brock-Perry

HMS Prince Regent-- Part 3: More Action, Then Peace

Yeo again used his superiority in naval strength to sail to Niagara with his fleet.  On the way, the Prince Regent was hit by lightning.  With the approach of the British fleet, the U.S. fleet withdrew to Sackets Harbor.

November 1, the Prince Regent escorted a convoy with reinforcements for Fort George.

It was renamed the Kingston after the war.  In 1817, its crew was paid off and the ship put in ordinary as per the Rush-Bagot Treaty.  It was ordered sold in 1832, but no buyers were found and the ship was sunk in Deadman's Bay in the 1830s.

In 2015, the HMS Prince Regent, HMS St. Lawrence and HMS Princess Charlotte were designated as a National Historic Site of Canada.

--Brock-Perry

Shipwrecks To Be Marked With Plaques in Kingston, Ontario-- Part 1

From the October 19, 2017, Kingston, Ontario Whig by Ian MacAlpine.

Three Kingston underwater treasures will be marked in a ceremony to be held Wednesday at Fort Henry Discovery Centre.  Officials from Parks Canada and Historic Board of Canada announced that three War of 1812 shipwrecks at the bottom of Lake Ontario will be marked with plaques.

The HMS Prince Regent and HMS Princess Charlotte were decommissioned after the war and purposely sunk in Deadman's Bay just north of Fort Henry.  (They were sunk for preservation.)  The HMS St. Lawrence, the largest and most heavily armed warship in freshwater is off the Tell Centre.  After the war it served as a dock for the Mortroub Brewery and Distillery into the late 1800s.

--Brock-Perry

Shipwrecks Designated Historical Site in Kingston

From the August 4, 2015, Kingston (Can) Whig by Julia McKay.

Kingston has historical significance both above and below Lake Ontario.

The War of 1812 had Great Britain and her North American colonies fighting against the United States and led to the expansion of the "Provincial Marine" naval base established at Kingston in 1789.  Many ships were constructed there, especially during the great naval ships race if 1814,.

With the end of the war, many of these ships became unusable.  In 1834, the decision was made to close the shipyard.  The vessels there needed to be disposed.  Some were auctioned off and sold for scrap.

Others were deliberately sunk in Deadman Bay, but clear of the shipping channel.

Three of these are known:  HMS Prince Regent, HMS Princess Charlotte and the HMS St. Lawrence.

The site of these wrecks now has a commemorative designation.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of Fort Oswego, NY (Battle of Oswego)-- Part 1: Naval Arms Race on Lake Ontario

From Wikipedia.

I have been referring to this as the battle of Oswego.

The article considered the British attack on the American fort and village as "partially successful."  The battle led directly from the naval arms race on Lake Ontario.  Both the Americans and British were building two frigates apiece as 1814 opened.  The two British frigates (HMS Prince Regent and HMS Princess Charlotte) were finished at Kingston, Upper Canada, in April.

British commander James Yeo knew that the American frigates were stronger and quickly nearing completion, so he decided to strike while he had the edge.  His first thought was the main American naval base at Sackets Harbor, NY, but he did not have enough troops and Canada's Governor General, Lt. Gen. George Prevost refused to give him any more soldiers.

So, he and Drummond decided to attack the weaker Fort Oswego and village of Oswego farther down the Lake Ontario shore.    It was a major American staging point and still had importance.

--Brock-Perry

HMS Princess Charlotte

From Wikipedia.

Was a 121-foot long, 42-gun 5th rate frigate manned by a crew of 280. Built at the Kingston Royal Doxkyard in Kingston, Upper Canada, and launched April 14, 1814, along with the frigate HMS Prince Regent. Originally was to have been the HMS Vittoria, but the name was changed before launch.

Served on Lake Ontario and commssioned at Oswego 5 May 1814 under Captain William Mulcaster. Took part in attacks on Fort Oswego and Sackets Harbor in New York.

Received new commander, Captain Edward Collier in November and was renamed the HMS Burlington on 9 December 1814. In June 1815, Captain Nicholas Lockyer commanded.

In June 1833, it was offered for sale, but there were no takers and towed away and scuttled.

In 1825, the HMS Princes Charlotte, a 120-gun first rate ship-of-the-line was launched in Britain.

--Brock-Perry

The 1814 Naval Race on the Lakes: HMS Prince Regent and Princess Charlotte

The timeline for April 1814 clearly shows that a big naval arms race was on along the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain during the early part of 1814.

Needing more heavily armed vessels to challenge American Commodore Chauncey for control of Lake Ontario, Sir James Lucas Yeo's British squadron was reinforcedby the HMS Prince Regent (56 guns) and HMS Princess Charlotte (42 guns) on April 14, 1814. This gave Yeo the advantage.

On May 6, 1814, these two and other vessels conveyed part of a 550 soldier force in an amphibious attack on Oswego, New York. Then they covered the landing and bombarded the fort.

Other ships added to the forces in the first part of April 1814: British: HMS Linnert. American: USS Jefferson, Saratoga and Jones.

 --Brock-Perry

List of Ships Built at Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

Buffalo- gunboat, 1792
Catherine--gunboat, 1792
Sophia-- gunboat, 1792

Swift-- gunboat, 1792
HMS Speedy, 1798
HMS Royal George, 1809

HMS St. Lawrence, 1814
HMS Prince Regent, 1814
HMS Princess Charlotte

HMS Duke of Gloucester
HMS Earl of Moira-- brig, 1805
HMS Sir Sidney Smith-- schooner 1806.

More to Come. --Brock-Perry

Kingston's Royal Navy Dockyard-- Part 3: Ships Built There

HMS ST. LAWRENCE: Ship of the Line. I wrote about this ship earlier this week.

HMS PRINCE REGENT: Built 1814. A 56-gun frigate renamed Kingston in 1814.

HMS PRINESS CHARLOTTE: Built 1814. A 42-gun frigate renamed Burlington in 1814.

HMS PSYCHE: Built 1814. A 56-gun frigate. Her frame was sent from Britain and assembled at Kingston.

For Some Reason These Ships Were Renamed. --Brock-Perry